Katherine Kedzierska

Katherine (Katarzyna) Kedzierska is a Polish born internationally recognised Australian immunologist, Professor of Immunology and Deputy Head of Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. Kedzierska is a Laboratory Head at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Melbourne, Australia) and Adjunct Professor at Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Japan).

Early life and education Kedzierska completed her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in 1994 and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in 1995 at Monash University. She received her PhD from Monash University in 2002, studying the mechanisms underlying defective phagocytosis by human monocytes and macrophages following HIV-infection under the supervision of Professor Suzanne Crowe at the Burnet Institute. Her work (see Selected Publications) has described immune networks underpinning the severity of viral disease and recovery from viral infections in the young, the elderly and high risk populations such as pregnant women and Australian First Nations people. She was at the forefront of SARS-CoV-2 research, leading a research group that was the first in the world to publish on immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in one of Australia's first COVID-19 patients. Her research was recognised by the 2023 Eureka Prize for Infectious Disease Research, with Kedzierska being listed as a Highly Cited Researcher annually since 2023.

Scientific outreach Kedzierska serves on the Editorial Boards of PLoS Biology, Vaccine, Immunology & Cell Biology and Clinical & Translational Immunology.

Awards, honours and recognition 2026 - Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science 2023 - Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases 2019 - University of Melbourne Dame Kate Campbell Fellow 2019 - Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences 2018 - Woodward Medal in Science and Technology 2016 - The Selwyn Smith Medical Research Prize 2016 - Australian Academy of Science Jacques Miller Medal for Experimental Biomedicine 2011 - Scopus Young Researcher of the Year Award for Medicine and Medical Sciences 2011 - National Health and Medical Research Council Excellence Award 2001 - Premier's Commendation for Medical Research

Selected publications